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Axial Stress-Results attribute

Version: All

The Axial stress is a linear combination of contribution from Bending moments and Axial forces.  Note that these stresses are valid for elastic responses, (uses linear stress distribution).

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Checking soft connections or disconnected members

Version: All

Sometimes due to modelling mistakes, members may not be connected properly or the connection is too soft. Its recomended that user run an eigenvalue analysis for such model which will help in detecting the problematic locations in the model.

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Error in Pro_Illegal

Version: 8.6 to All

Starting from Usfos 8.6, more strict checks on the finite element model are performed. If elements do not pass this check then the analysis will stop and the error message "Error in Pro_Illegal" will be printed.

Version 8.6 performs the following checks:

  • Element length to diameter ratio cannot be less than 0.5 in standard beam element.
  • Beam eccentricity (e1+e2) to length ratio cannot be higher than 0.5.
  • Soil layer thickness to pile diameter ration cannot be lower than 1.

Version 8.7 and following perform the previous checks and also:

  • Shell element angle cannot be smaller than 10°.

The elements that fail these criteria will be printed in the "out" file. Also, label files will be written to highlight the illegal elements in Xact.

To allow some or all elements to comply with less strict cirteria, the user can add the Illegal command in the control file to that effect. More information can be found on the release notes of Usfos 8.6 and 8.7.

Please see the attached document Release_Notes_for_Usfos_8-6.

Please see the attached document Release_Notes_for_Usfos_8-7.

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Error message prompt to contact support@usfos.com

When the error message prompt you to contact " support@usfos.com " , this indicated that you're not installed USFOS from DNV installation file.

Hence please uninstall USFOS and download USFOS from the Sesam Knowledge Centre. After completely downloading the file > Unzip > Open the folder and double click setup.exe to install

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Model Exporting from GeniE to Usfos: Short Elements

Version: All

From Usfos Version 8.6 and above, Usfos will not accept elements shorter than L/D<0.5. Here L is the length of the element and D is the diameter of the cross-section. Usfos can accept these short elements at user' own risk by including 'Illegal' card. To check the distance between the nodes in GeniE, please click on Tools> Analsyis> Locate FE. Rest of the steps are shown in the attached image. 

Please see the attached document Close_nodes.

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Open large FEM files in Usfos Xact

Sometimes, when trying to use Usfos Xact to open a large FEM model file, it will report an out-of-memory problem and fail to open the model in the graphics user interface. When this happens, user could use Struman to convert the FEM model file into Usfos result RAF file format. The Usfos result file format could handle much larger file sizes up to a few GBs.

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Running Usfos in batch mode

Version: All

Attached folder contains a model file and two different runs are done for waves in different directions. Wave-loads are computed by Wajac. You many need to make some chages in the wave1.inp and wave2.inp by changing the drive locations. 

Please see the attached document 106987 - Copy.

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Struman prints warning "Your Licence Expired X days ago"

Version: All

Struman will print a warning stating that the user license has expired.

This is a fake warning! and Struman will work regardless of the printed warning.

Struman needs a separate license file from Usfos to work, but will not fail if the date of this license file has expired.

Please see the attached document struman.

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User being prompted insufficient license as below

Error message: User being prompted insufficient license as below

Question:  Does insufficient license error means that the license is not valid or program can’t fetch the license file?

Answer: This is not a license error. Instead, this is installation error where the user installed Usfos version from https://usfos.no/ and not using DNV version for Usfos. Usfos license file only works with DNV installation files. Solution to this:

  • Uninstall the Usfos version from https://usfos.no/
  • Download Usfos installation file from Sesam Downloads
  • Unzip the file and use setup.exe to install the program
  • Launch Usfos

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